Supporting device or adjustable wedge for rollable objects



A. G. S. NAUR Jan. 22, 1963 SUPPORTING DEVICE OR ADJUSTABLE WEDGE FOR ROLLABLE OBJECTS Filed Dec. 10, 1959 tates Uite doc

3,074,512 SUPPORTING DEVifiE R ADIlUdTABLE WEDGE FOR RGLLABLE GBJECTS Arthur G. S. Naur, Sinsen Terrasse 19, Oslo, Norway Filed Dec. 10, E59, Ser. No. 858,633 Claims priority, application Norway Dec. 12, 1958 9 Claims. (Cl. 188-32) The present invention relates to a supporting device or adjustable wedge for preventing rolling of rollable objects, such as pipes, barrels, tubings and the like.

In its simplest form a supporting device of the above kind consists of a wedge which is pushed under the object to be prevented from uncontrolled rolling. The wedge may be in two portions, one being a foot portion for resting on the supporting surface, the other being a supporting portion adapted for supporting a rollable object. It is known to make such a wedge adjustable and to provide ripping means on the foot portion to prevent the wedge from slipping on the surface on which it is resting. It is also known to hinge the supporting portion to the foot portion to enable angular adjustment of the supporting portion relative to said foot portion and the supporting surface. In a known device of this kind the underside of the supporting portion is provided with a pawl, the free end of which co-operates with teeth on the foot portion. The supporting portion is swung into a desired position and blocked in said position by the pawl. Thereby the gripping means are passed into the supporting surface when the latter is penetrable such as wood. With the foot portion secured in the supporting surface and the supporting portion engaging the rollable object it is difficult to loosen the supporting device without the use of a hammer or the like.

If the gripping portions have been pressed into the supporting surface, the same will be damaged when the device is loosened by impact blows.

The object of the invention is to avoid the above noted deficiencies, and according to the invention a two-armed lever is provided which is pivotally connected to the foot portion for contacting the supporting portion for angularly adjusting the same and to lock the supporting portion in the desired angular position relative to the foot portion.

The foot portion has a long leg and a short leg with one end of the supporting portion hinged to the free end of said long leg. The short leg may be provided at its free end with pikes or the like arranged to engage the supporting surface. The two-armed lever is pivotally supported at the vertex of the foot portion, said foot portion resting with its free end against the supporting surface.

These and other features of the invention will appear from the following description of the drawing which shows an embodiment of the supporting device and alternatives of the gripping means.

FIG. 1 shows the supporting device or adjustable wedge in perspective;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal actional view of the device according to FIG. 1 and shown in reduced size.

FIG. 3 shows a loose plate adapted for placement on the inner side of the short angle leg and adjustable to take up wear;

FIG. 4 shows a rubber shoe which can be applied to the short angle leg to prevent sliding on the supporting surface and;

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the short angle leg to reduce wear of the supporting surface.

The supporting device according to FIGS. 1 and 2 may be made from a plate strip blank bent to form an angle with one leg 1 substantially longer than the other leg 2. The leg 1 constitutes the foot portion of the device. The first leg may be bow-shaped in accordance with the shape of the rolling objects. A plate strip-shaped part 3 constituting a supporting portion for the rollable objects has projections 4, 4a engaged in slots in leg 1 whereby part 3 is hingeably connected to leg 1. Part 3 is bowshaped in a manner similar to that of leg 1 for accommodating a rollable object. To secure leg 1 to part 3, a bolt having a head 13 is fastened to part 3 the head passing through an opening in leg 1 allowing a limited amount of angular play between leg 1 and part 3.

At the vertex of the legs 1, 2, a two armed lever 7, 8 is hingeably attached by means of bolt 5. The short arm 3 of the lever is located below the free end of part 3 and serves to lock the same in difierent angular positions relative to leg 1. Part 3, may be provided with transverse flutes (not shown) on the underside thereof where the free end of the arm 8 co-operates therewith. Thus, arm 8 can adjustably lock the part 3 in various angular positions relative to the foot portion.

In order that part 3 can rest against the leg 1 along its entire length, said leg 1 is provided with a recess or opening thereby remitting arm 8 to rotate therethrough. The other arm 7 of the lever may be brought to rest against the short angle leg 2. Near the free end of the arm 7 is a grip 9 or the like to be used when the blocking is to be removed.

In order to stiffen the angle legs 1 and 2 a gusset 10 may be formed integrally therewith. Alternatively, a triangular metal piece 1% may be Welded to the legs 1 and 2. The free end of the angle leg 2 is provided with pikes 12 or the like to grip the supporting surface when penetrated thereinto.

If the supporting device is intended for use on harder supports, the pikes 12 will be gradually worn so that the angle of leg 1 on the supporting surface will be gradually reduced. To avoid this there is fixed to leg 2 in abutting relation a plate-shaped part 14 having legs 15. The abutting surfaces of part 14 and leg 2 are rifled or corrugated as shown, the corrugations being designated by numerals 19 and 18 respectively. The part 14 is kept in position by a screw 17 which is passed through an oblong hole 16 in part 14 and threadably engaged in leg 2. When the pikes 12 are worn off the screw 17 is loosened and the plate 14 is moved down to a position wherein leg 15 supports the supporting device such that the angle of leg 1 can be maintained constant; thereafter screw 17 is tightened.

If the supporting device is to be used on a support which is so hard that the pikes 12 can not be forced into same e.g. an iron floor or an iron platform, the free end of the angle leg 2 may be provided with a rubber shoe 20 as shown in FIG. 4.

The shoe 20 has an opening 21 which can accommodate the free end of the angle leg 2.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which a broad support surface is provided for the angle leg 2 in the form of a plate 22. Said plate 22 is fixed to the angle leg 2 and is provided with notches 23 so that the angle leg 2 may also be combined with a part 14 according to FIG. 3.

The underside of the plate 22 may be provided with a plate of rubber or the like which will act in the same way as the rubber shoe 2! FIG. 4. When the supporting device is constructed according to FIG. 5 and is provided with a plate-shaped part '14 the supporting device may be used on practically all types of surfaces.

I claim:

1. An adjustable wedge for preventing objects from rolling on a surface, said wedge comprising: a foot portion, gripping means on said foot portion for engaging said surface to prevent relative displacement between the foot portion and the surface, a supporting portion hingeably connected to the foot portion for engaging one of said objects, and means pivotally connected to the foot a) portion for engaging the supporting portion for pivoting the latter with respect to the foot portion whereby the supporting portion can accommodate a plurality of sizes of objects, the latter means being effective to lock said supporting portion in a desired relative position thereof 5 with respect to the foot portion, said latter means comprising a two-armed lever including end portions, one of said end portions being adapted for engaging the supporting portion, said foot portion including a short and long leg connected together in angular fashion and defining a vertex, said two-armed lever being pivotally connected to said foot portion at said vertex, the gripping means being on the short leg, said supporting portion being hingeably connected to the long leg.

2, An adjustable Wedge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the short leg is provided with an opening to permit the lever to pass therethrough.

3.'An adjustable wedge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supporting portion is provided with grooves, said lever being engagcable in sai grooves to lock said supporting portion and prevent relative displacement with respect to said foot portion.

4. An adjustable wedge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a grip on the other end portion of said twoarmed lever to facilitate pivoting of the lever.

5. An adjustable wedge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting the length of the short leg including a plate shaped part attached to the short leg and extensible therefrom to compensate for Wear of the short leg.

6. An adjustable Wedge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gripping means includes a rubber shoe on the short leg.

7. An adjustable Wedge as claimed in claim 2, wherein said gripping means includes an eniargement piate on the short leg and extending therefrom to contact said surface to increase the contact area of the foot portion on said surface.

S. An adjustable wedge as ciairned in claim 7, comprisa rubber plate on said enlargement plate and in con tact with said surface.

9. An adjustable wedge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said short leg includes a piked portion for .penertating said surface and preventing relative displacement therehetween.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 670,978 Young Apr. 2, 1901 FOREIGN PATENTS 331,148 Germany Dec. 31, 1920 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE WEDGE FOR PREVENTING OBJECTS FROM ROLLING ON A SURFACE, SAID WEDGE COMPRISING: A FOOT PORTION, GRIPPING MEANS ON SAID FOOT PORTION FOR ENGAGING SAID SURFACE TO PREVENT RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN THE FOOT PORTION AND THE SURFACE, A SUPPORTING PORTION HINGEABLY CONNECTED TO THE FOOT PORTION FOR ENGAGING ONE OF SAID OBJECTS, AND MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE FOOT PORTION FOR ENGAGING THE SUPPORTING PORTION FOR PIVOTING THE LATTER WITH RESPECT TO THE FOOT PORTION WHEREBY THE SUPPORTING PORTION CAN ACCOMMODATE A PLURALITY OF SIZES OF OBJECTS, THE LATTER MEANS BEING EFFECTIVE TO LOCK SAID SUPPORTING PORTION IN A DESIRED RELATIVE POSITION THEREOF WITH RESPECT TO THE FOOT PORTION, SAID LATTER MEANS COMPRISING A TWO-ARMED LEVER INCLUDING END PORTIONS, ONE OF SAID END PORTIONS BEING ADAPTED FOR ENGAGING THE SUPPORTING PORTION, SAID FOOT PORTION INCLUDING A SHORT AND LONG LEG CONNECTED TOGETHER IN ANGULAR FASHION AND DEFINING A VERTEX, SAID TWO-ARMED LEVER BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FOOT PORTION AT SAID VERTEX, THE GRIPPING MEANS BEING ON THE SHORT LEG, SAID SUPPORTING PORTION BEING HINGEABLY CONNECTED TO THE LONG LEG. 